Method of and apparatus for winding condensers



April 30, 1957 CLEMQNS 2,790,607

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING CONDENSERS Filed May 12, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY April 30, 1957 D. R. CLEMONS 2,790,607

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING CONDENSERS Filed May 12, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 w vs/v 70R THERMOPLASTIC D. 1?. 62511401149 ADHESIVEArrafilvf METHOD OF APPARATUS FOR WINDING CONDENSERS Application May 12,1954, Serial No. 429,144

8 Claims. (Cl. 242-65 This invention relates to methods of and apparatusfor winding condensers, and more particularly to methods of andapparatus for winding compact condensers.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved methods of andapparatus for winding condensers.

Another object of the invention is to provide methods of and apparatusfor winding very small condensers.

A further object of the invention is to provide methods of and apparatusfor winding condensers having substantially no hollow spaces therein.

In a method and an apparatus illustrating certain features of theinvention, a pair of wires are positioned parallelly on the ends ofstrips to be wound into a condenser and the strips are secured to thewires. The wires then are revolved as a unit to wind the strips thereonand are subsequently withdrawn from the Wound condenser.

In a method and an apparatus illustrating the invention morespecifically, a pair of fine wires are extended parallelly between twoclamps and the clamps are re-' volved to wind condenser-forming stripson the wires. One of the pairs of clamps is mounted on a head which alsosupports a pair of supply reels for the wires, and the other pair ofclamps is mounted on a second head rotatable in unison with the firsthead. The second pair of clamps is spring-biased to hold the wires tautbetween two pairs of clamps, and is mounted pivotally so that thetensions on the two wires are equalized.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from thefollowing detailed description of methods and apparatus forming specificembodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the appendeddrawings, in which Fig. l is a fragmentary, partially sectional, frontelevation of an apparatus for practicing one method embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 33of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 44of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, partially sectional View of an apparatusforming a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5;and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a pair ofmetallizecl strips from which the condensers are wound showingthermoplastic adhesive applied to the end portions thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown therein anapparatus for winding on extremely small cores insulating paper strips10 and 11 (Fig. 1) having the inner faces thereof metallized so that theresulting condensers are as small as possible. The apparatus includesclamping heads 12 and 13 rotatably mounted in radial and thrust bearings14. Anti-backlash gearing 15 and 16 driven by a drive shaft 17 rotatesrates Patent Patented Apr. 30, 1957 trunnions 21 and 22 to which a rigidhousing 23 is fixed.

Braked supply reels 27 and 28 mounted on supply stands 29 carry suppliesof wires 30 and 31 which extend between a manually operable clamp 34mounted on a bracket 33 and through the trunnions 22 and adjustable,keying guides 35 and 36, respectively, mounted in guides 39. The wiresextend parallelly from the keying guides 35 and 36 to adjustable, keyingguides 37 and 38 aligned with the guides 35 and 36. The guides 35, 36,37 and 38 are mounted in guideways 39 by manually rotatable screws 40.The wires extend from the guides 37 and 38 to an equalizing clamp 41mounted pivotally on a yoke 42 secured to a tension spring 43, which isfastened to a tension applying adjustment screw 44 mounted in an end 45of a housing 46 fixed to trunnions 47 and 48, which mount the head 13rotatably. The clamp 41 tensions the wires 30 and 31, and equalizes thetension between the two wires inasmuch as the clamp 41 is pivotallymounted. Pins 49 secured rigidly to the clamp 41 project into slots 53in the housing 46 to key the clamp to the housing.

Operation of embodiment shown in Figs. 1 through 4 space in the centerthereof that is occupied by the wires 30 and 31. After the condenser 50is wound to its desired size, the strips 10 andll are severed and thewires 30 and 31 are severed between the trunnion 22 and the condenser.The clamp 41 then is released manually, and the Wires-are pulled fromthe condenser, or, if desired, the condenser may be pulled from thewires 30 and 31 against the action of the clamp 41 and then the wiresare removed from the clamps. The clamp 34 then is released and the wiresare pulled from the head 12 to the head 13, are inserted into the keyingguides 37 and 33, and are reclamped by the clamp 41 while the spring 43is under tension, and the operation described hereinabove may berepeated. Condensers wound with the wires spaced widely apart are flatwith no danger of the inner turns loosening.

If desired, instead of having the wires 30 and 31 spaced from oneanother, the keying guides may be adjusted manually, after the insertionof strips 10 and 11 therebetween, to positions in which the wires pressagainst one another and the strips therebetween, and the winding startedin this manner with the wires clamping the strips. Also, in either ofthese methods, the one of the wires in contact with the metallized faceof the strip 10 may be left in the wound strip to form an electricallead to that plate of the condenser.

Embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 This apparatus includes turning heads112 and 113 constructed generally similarly and driven similarly to theheads 12 and 13. The head 112 includes a braked supply reel 127 mountedon a stand 129 which carries a supply of a tape 130 which extends from aclamp 134 on the head 112 to a spring-pulled tensioning clamp 141 on thehead 113 through slots 135 and 137 in the heads. The heads are mountedon trunnions 122 and 147, respectively. A guide roll 143 on a bracket144 guides the tape from the supply reel to the clamp 134. The strips110 and 111 may be secured to the tape by adhesive or by tucking theends of the strips under the second turn thereof. The operation of thisapparatus is generally similar to that of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1to 4 inclusive, the tape 130 being substituted for the wires 30 and 31,and forms strips 110 and 111 into a very small compact condenser havingsubstantially no open space therein. The slots 135 and 137 key the tape130 to the heads, and drives 150 and 151 rotate the heads in unison.Pins 156 fastened to the clamp 141 project through slots 157 in ahousing 158 to key the clamp 141 to the housing, and the housing 158 anda housing 159 of the head 112 may be provided with suitable doors foraccess to the interiors thereof.

If desired, the strips 10 and 11 (Fig. 7), and 110 and 111 may besecured to the wires 30 and 31 and the tape 130, respectively, by meansof a thermoplastic cement for starting the windingof the condensers.After the condensers are wound, an electric current may be forcedthrough the wires or the tape, as the case may be, to heat theseelements to soften the thermoplastic cement so that the core or arborelements may be easily withdrawn from the wound condensers. Also, shearsmay be mounted on the trunnion 22 for shearing the wires 30 and 31, andsimilarly may be provided on the trunnion 122 for shearing the tape 130.

The above-described methods and apparatus serve to wind condensers withsubstantially no open space therein so that the condensers are verycompact. The apparatus is simple and inexpensive in construction andmaintenance, while very efiective in its operation. While onlysingle-arbor winding heads have been shown, obviously in eachembodiment, multiple-arbor winding heads may be provided so that afterone arbor is filled, the head may be revolved to present a second arborfor Winding as the wound condenser is taken off the first arbor.

In the use of the term filament, it is intended to include elongatedelements of any suitable cross-sectional.

shape, such as, for example, bands, wires and elongated elements ofcircular, irregular, rectangular or other shape in cross-section.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of forming condensers, which comprises securing strips tobe wound into a condenser to an electroconductive filament by athermoplastic adhesive, winding the strips into a condenser on thefilament, passing an electric current through the filament to heat itand soften the adhesive, and withdrawing the filament from the condenserwhile the adhesive is softened.

2. The method of winding condensers, which comprises securing a strip toan electroconductive filament by a thermoplastic adhesive, rotating thefilament to form a condenser thereon, heating the filament electricallyto melt the adhesive securing the strip to the filament, and withdrawingthe filament from the wound condenser.

3. An apparatus for winding condensers, which comprises a pair ofrotatable heads mounted in axial alignment, means for rotating the headsin unison, a supply reel for supplying an arbor filament mounted on oneof the heads, and means mounted on the heads for clamping the filament.

4. An apparatus for winding condensers, which comprises a pair ofrotatable heads mounted in axial alignment, means for rotating the headsin unison, a pair of supply reels for supplying arbor wires mounted onone of the heads, means mounted on the heads for clamping the wires,means for tensioning the portions of the wires between the heads, andmeans keying the wires to the heads in positions in which the wiresextend parallelly between the two heads, whereby, as the heads arerotated, strips to be formed into condensers secured to the wires arewound on the portions of the wires between the two heads.

5. An apparatus for winding condensers, which comprises a pair ofrotatable heads mounted in axial alignment, means for rotating the headsin unison, a pair of supply reels for supplying arbor wires mounted onone of the heads, means mounted on the heads for clamping the wires,keying guides carried by the heads for holding the wires in positions inwhich the wires extend parallelly between the two heads, whereby, as theheads are rotated, strips to be formed on the condensers secured to thewires are wound on the portions of the wires between the two heads, andmeans for adjusting the keying guides on each head toward and away fromone another.

6. An apparatus for winding condensers, which comprises a supply headmounted rotatably, a second head spaced from and in axial alignment withthe first head and mounted rotatably, means for rotating the headstogether as a unit, a pair of supply reels carrying wire 7 mounted onthe first head, wire-clamping means mounted on the first head, a secondWire-clamping means mounted on the second head and urged away from thefirst head, and adjustable wire keying means mounted on the two headsfor keying the wires to the two heads in positions in which the portionsof the wire between the two heads are parallel.

7. An apparatus for winding condensers, which comprises a pair of headsmounted rotatably in axial alignment with one another, means forrotating the heads together as a unit, a pair of wires, means on thefirst head for-clamping the wires, means on the second head and urgedaway from the first head for clamping the wires, means for tensioningthe wires, and means for keying the wires to the two heads in positionsin which the pertions of the wires between the two heads are parallel.

8. An apparatus for winding condensers, which comprises .a supply headmounted rotatably, a second head spaced from and in axial alignment withthe first head and mounted rotatably, a pair of wires, means forrotating .the heads together as a unit, clarnp mounted on the first headfor clamping the wires, a second clamp mounted on the second head andurged away from the first head for clamping the wires, and adjustablemeans mounted on the .two heads for pressing the portions of the wiresbetween the two heads together to clamp therebetween a' strip .to bewound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

